In the Highlands & probably in Wales & Ireland, sheep will often wander off into he rocky places often onto places where if they had any sense at all they would not go, because they get caught, and trapped into some terrible dangers.
Apparently the grass is so tempting, so sweet on these mountains that the sheep cannot resist the temptation, I was told that could jump 10 perhaps 12 feet down to a most secluded place where the grass looks & probably is so much sweeter. But the problem is that sheep cannot jump 10 nor 12 feet high!!
Some times the sheep are trapped for days when all the grass is gone, with no water they die.
Usually the shepherd will, after a few days, hear their distressed bleating and go to rescue them by then of course the sheep are very weak often cannot even stand and need a great deal of caring afterwards.
Apparently the shepherd will rope himself to a rock or a tree then let himself down ties the feet of the sheep and hauls it up. Now remember these sheep are very heavy and of course smelly!!.
It cannot be very difficult to recognise this factual picture with the text from the gospel, Jesus the good shepherd.
However I wondered would it not be far better if I could be rescued just before I got swallowed up into temptation. Like the Lord's Prayer.. Do not let me enter into a place of temptation and get so trapped I cannot escape? After all we do try to stop children form putting hands into fires or pouring boiling water on them selves.. In fact we go so far that they are almost prevented form being children for fear of harm (trampoline? Swings/ climbing trees & walls) I would like god to stop me!! Or would I?
The shepherd would never go down a after a sheep the moment it went the 12 feet down. If he did the sheep would more than likely run over the edge of the precipice and be killed, or if he could get hold of it, it would struggle so much that the shepherd would be in danger of being seriously hurt & they could both die.
It is the same with me I guess. Until I hit rock bottom. Till I have lost everything, till I have made a complete fool of my self I will not turn back to God and repent..
However I do know one thing.
If I do wander The Good Shepherd will always be there to bring me back the moment I give up the temptation, give up trying to save myself and am exhausted enough to be carried without fighting God